Torres Strait Islands

There are about 300
islands, all the way up
to the border of Papua New Guinea.

But the southernmost ones, what we call the 'inner' islands,
include
Thursday, Horn,
Hammond, Prince of
Whales, Friday, Wednesday, Goods, Possession and Roko.

Most are not easy to get
to, you've done well if on your trip you visit
Thursday, and very well if you add Horn Island.

If you want to visit a
pearl farm, there are Friday (from TI) and Roko (from the
mainland).

Thursday
Island - WaibeneThursday
Islandis the commercial and
administrative centre of Torres Strait
Islands. It
is far from the largest one, but it is the most visited, and most
populated one.

It is well
known for its
multiculturalism, and for its interesting history. With a
population of 2,500, it is really like a small town, lively
with shops,
hotels and
restaurants. It has some
great views and blue waters around it, and there are a few things
to see and do.

Horn
Island - NgurupaiHorn
Island is the
second largest of the 'inner' islands of the Torres Strait, with a
population of 700. While it's much larger than TI, there is less for
visitors.
There is the town of Wasaga with its museum, resort and
hotel, and outside are some nice beaches, the airport and the island's
Second World War history.

Hammond
Island - Keriri
The third largest, and the third most populated of the inner Torres
Strait islands is
Hammond.

It is a hilly island
with some good views
and
basaltic
rock formations. There
is a small township with
a beautiful beachfront, and there is the famous Hammond Island Church.

Prince
of Wales - Muralug
The rest of the islands have hardly any population or
facilities.
Prince of Wales - by far the largest one of all the inner Torres Strait
Islands -
has a
few coastal inhabitants in the 'village' in the northern end of the
island, but no jetty, and nothing else except wilderness.

Friday
Island - GealugFriday
Island is a working pearl farm - called Kazu Pearls, and
operated by
the Japanese owner Kazuyoshi Takami and a crew of backpackers who help
with different tasks.

The official
pearl farm tour includes the shop, a
farm operation presentation, and a seafood lunch.

Goods
Island - Palilug
Between Hammond and Friday, the little Goods Island has a jetty, a
couple of old forts from the time of a feared Russian invasion, a
couple of Second World War relics and shipwrecks, and it has a
lighthouse to which you can walk - the hilly walk takes an hour each
way.

Wednesday
Island - Maururra
Wednesday Island is a little bit away from Hammond, Goods, Friday, TI
and POW - as you cross the Flinders Passage, the sea gets a little
rougher.
Just like the near-by Tuesday Islets, Wednesday
Island is uninhabited, and the only thing to see is a lighthouse.

Torres Strait Islands Close to
the Mainland

Roko
IslandRoko
Island has a working peral farm, like Friday. Roko is the closest one to
the mainland so handiest to visit if you don't go to Thursday or any
other Torres Strait Islands.

Like Friday it has a tour, and the Roko
Island tour includes a pearl farm operation demonstration, and a stroll
around the island.

Possession
Island - Bedanug
But probably the most interesting one when it comes to European history
is Possession Island - in the northern end of which Captain James Cook
claimed the eastern coast of Australia to England in 1770.
There is a
monument to mark the event; and on the other side of the island there
is also some gold history.

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